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Difficulty Choosing a Doll?

Jan 29, 2010

    1. My first doll was inexpensive and pretty - the only qualifications I had for her. As I move closer to convincing myself it's time to buy a second doll, I am having a lot of trouble.

      I wonder - do any of you have a lot of difficulty when it comes to choosing the next doll to buy? This is a very expensive hobby, so once you have the money to spend, I often find it's difficult to spend the money on just any doll.

      The problems that run through my head are usually: could I find a seller with cheaper shipping? ; Could I find a doll of comparative quality that is cheaper/find a different body for a popular head to cheapen the deal? ; I like [Doll A] a lot, but [Doll B] is nice too.... ; I really like this doll, but I don't like this one thing about it [mouth, ears, etc.] ; I've always liked [Iplehouse]'s dolls, so should I just satisfy my urge to get one, or look elsewhere? And, of course, the basics: male or female? MSD or SD?

      Is "the perfect doll" out there? How do you know when you find it? If you're iffy about a doll, does that mean you shouldn't buy, or does it mean you're just being too picky/stingy? Halp!
       
    2. I just look at a lot of companies and owner gallery threads to see what dolls are out there. If I see one I like, I look for more pictures. Sometimes owner pictures will show you an angle of the doll that may make you not like it as much, but sometimes owner pics show the true potential of a doll. If you have two dolls you're deciding between, why not start a pic request thread in the bjd-opedia so you can see many pictures of those dolls and decide between them.
       
    3. My problem with choosing dolls is purely budgeting - with my current financial situation I will find it very hard to save the £500 / $700 for the really nice dolls that I have fallen in love with like Iple House's EID Jessica standard edition, but I have no problems with saving up £140 / $220 for the Bobobie 68cm girl Chun, even though she isn't quite as nice as Jessica.

      I need a new job I guess.

      Phil.
       
    4. I have the worst time with choosing dolls EVAR.
      I don't usually take price into consideration because (I'm ridiculously stupid) I'll save up the money for them and I depend on the fact that the dolls will still be there -none of the dolls I want are limiteds-
      I just can't pick!!! They're all so pretty DXXXx I don't know what to say. Pick the one you LOVE.
      The one you like the best ^^
       
    5. I think all my dolls have chosen ME rather than me choosing them :) They just seem to leap off the page into my online shopping cart!
       
    6. If you're lucky, there will be one that you just cannot resist. All the other pros and cons won't mean a thing, you'll want it, you won't care the price... ;)
      That's how it was with my first. I looked and looked at every doll available at the time, and when I saw him, I just didn't care about anything else. That was the one.
      After that... then I got/get picky.
      I still have a few impulse buys, but you can always sell if you get one and it just doesn't light your fire when it gets in. :)
      The best way to find out is to try them out. Usually at a meet. If there's a particular sculpt or company you're interested in, check the meet up threads near you, and ask if any one has one they'd be willing to bring to let you fondle. :)
      Trial and error. That's how I find out. Found out that way, that I don't do open mouths or tinies. (there may be exceptions, but those are apparently my rules... didn't know that until I had some, and then realized they just weren't cutting it for me.)

      I know it's rather expensive for that sort of trying out things, but really, the prices hold up fairly well. If you weigh all the pros and cons of a sculpt and settle on one to try, take good care of it, and if it doesn't work out, you can send it on to another person to try out. ;)
       
    7. I think that you should follow your gut. Which doll would suit the one you currently own best? What are you looking for in a new doll? Do you like broader noses or slimmer ones? Make a list of all the things you want in a doll, and perhaps things that you would not like. Like aernath said, you can always sell him/her if it doesn't work out. If you like a doll a lot, but can't afford the pricetag, perhaps you could browse the marketplace? You could probably find the exact doll you are looking for, while giving a much needed home to a doll. :) In the end, it's all up to you to make decisions on which doll you like. Good Luck!
       
    8. I'm only saving up for my first BJD now, but I when I saw Ciel on Angelheim's page I knew instantly that he was the one. However, this doesn't always happen-- when I make a purchase of any sort, I agonize over it for long periods of time. I'm not stingy, I'm just careful with my money and like to make sure I'm getting the perfect blend of quality, quantity, price, etc.

      If you're having a difficult time choosing between dolls, or just making sure that *this* is the one for you, try leaving a picture of the doll(s) on your computer, or somewhere you frequently go. Looking at their picture every day will most likely leave you either wanting it more or wanting to never see that picture again in your life. ;) It also makes it easier to start focusing on the little details rather than simply looking at the doll as a whole (because once it comes home, you're going to start noticing those little things that might irritate you once you're not so caught up in the new doll excitement).

      As has been mentioned before, try to also find some owner pics of the particular doll(s) you're looking to buy. Maybe the company's default face-up and wig/outfit aren't your cup of tea, but you see that model in a completely different light once someone else has customized them. Or maybe the default photos look absolutely beautiful, but when you see pictures taken by owners you notice little imperfections, or features that you don't like as much.

      I wish you the best of luck in making your decision!
       
    9. I actually have put a lot of thought into my dolls. Because I'm re-creating characters, it's been difficult for me to find "a" doll that captures the characters I want to have dolls of.

      I'm quite picky when it comes to joints/posing. And worse when it comes to capturing a character's body type/features. So when I ran across a News announcement about DBDoll having a special promotion, and saw that the joints on the doll were lovely and the posing looked pretty good, I jumped on it.

      I did discover that the body-type was a bit more muscular than I had in mind for the character... (read: quite a bit), but I was still very happy with it because the posing was what I wanted and it was a gorgeous sculpt. Then I did a photoshop test to put THE perfect head on the body and realized that unless my measurements were off, the head is far too small for the body.

      However - this wasn't the end of the world for me. It only meant the doll I'd planned to be my "fourth" doll (yes, I'd had up to four planned out) would end up being completed ahead of schedule. And it'd also mean, more than likely, that the doll I'd planned to be my second would be my first completed... and the doll I'd planned to be my third would actually be my fifth as I'd found another doll I wanted and, well, the new doll is about half the cost of the one that was meant to come well before any other dolls.

      Anyway - my point isn't really so much to rattle on about my excitement for my own dolls, but to say that researching what you're looking for should help. I went to tons of companies before deciding anything other than a Zaoll Luv was the most perfect face for a character I wanted. And I didn't even find the head - a friend linked me to it before I'd done more than say, "Oh, maybe I'd be interested one day in getting my own doll. :)" ... But her linking me to THE perfect face sent me head over heels into the hobby. And though I researched, I never have found a head anywhere near as perfect as that one.

      And if you never hit upon something that says, "Please take me home!" - do you really need another doll? Maybe you're only meant to lavish attention on one. There are plenty of enthusiasts who only have one and are content with one. You shouldn't feel the need to buy one if you're just sort of indifferent to the process. ;)
       
    10. I agree somewhat with Krissy, some dolls come alive to me, and others don't..
      But I also know the budget problems, so if one dolls really touches me and is too expencive I go looking for one who looks like it and makes me feel the same feeling.

      But mostly it's not that much of a problem with me, except with the last one, I was looking for a 70 cm one, but a lot dolls I liked where 60 or 65 or something, but I really needed a 70 cm cause he has to be bigger than my other characters. and there was one 70 cm thati reaaaally liked, but he was too expencive for me..

      And that's where I got to the research about bodies and heads and resin matches, maybe I could buy only the head and find cheaper body with it and stuff.
      but eventually I found a full doll, he isn't exactly like the other one i liked butclose enough to make me feel the same feelings of contentment. ^^
      So now I'm saving for him :)
       
    11. I fell in love with Bobobie Mei the first time I saw her, and it didn't help when I saw her irl. The only thing that keeps me looking around for other dolls is that I really want her to have human ears. I know if I do order one, it will end up being her, but it is really holding me back.

      You could have a love at first sight moment, but I would still put in a lot of research before I bought.
       
    12. My doll (and probably any future dolls I end up buying) is based on an original character of mine, so while it took some time essentially I just looked through different heads until I found one that 'clicked' with my image of the character. It was just gut feeling, really.
       
    13. My problem is really that there are sooo many I want. My wishlist is like a hundred dolls long, and it's a substantial slab of money, so I get anxious over making the "wrong" choice and ending up regretting it. I'm kind of envious of people who are just "she is it" - I think the only time I've ever felt that was over Jin, and even then I spent weeks deciding on resin colour and worrying over making the wrong choice.
       
    14. i never had problem with choosing a doll. when i saw the pix, i know he/she must be my next doll, i have to buy or i will regrat. after that, i will think about my financial situation and think about how to save up my money for that doll.
       
    15. I had a horrible time choosing...

      ...I still do. I'm trying to find a 46-48cm male doll to be Frederick, Cecilia's lover!! He's a fancy man of German heritage, living in France...:D

      Anyways, I've changed dolls like 8 times. First it was AoD Wang Zi. Then it was AoD Li Ge. Then it was AoD Ming. Then it was AoD Wang Zi. Then it was AoD Chen. Stayed that for awhile, then I decided I wanted another brand, preferable Korean.

      That's when I hit Dollzone and decided on Hid. Then I went for a Hid-AoD hybrid. Then back to Hid. And now I'm at Dollzone Ray!! Cecilia is 44-45cm and I need someone taller than her...Dollzone MSDs are 46cm, or so they say.

      Now to earn up $300. ._. If I don't change my mind again...I do love Iplehouse...

      ...MAKE IT STOP!!!
       
    16. If your budget is tight and with tight I don't mean you only have $200 to spend, but you won't be buying 10 dolls the next two or three years (only one doll), it's hard to pick one doll, but it's something you have to do with care. I don't think you should be looking for the best deal, because you then may end up missing your dream doll. Most likely there will be cheaper alternatives or dolls that come with more extras.

      There's nothing wrong with bargain hunting, but when you can only buy one doll and then no other for a year or several years, you may want to save up a bit of extra money and make it count. Look around to find the doll that sweeps you off the floor even after a while. When you have to think too much about why or if a doll is right for you, it probably isn't the best choice. That doesn't have to be the wrong choice, though.
       
    17. I usually think things over dozens of times. Model, shipping, price, company, size, specially the face/body sculp. Even if a model is more expensive, I'd save and get it rather than buy a doll that doesn't fit in the personality I designed for it/the family to which it belongs.

      Bargains are tempting, but I only take them if I'm sure I won't regret spending the money.
       
    18. For my first doll, I knew at least that I wanted an SD size (or maybe even bigger), but that was about it. I went crazy comparing the dolls, their prices, how easy it would be to get them clothes, whether or not they had a special event I could get on, and so on, but I ended up just going with the doll that made my heart go pitter patter, lol.

      For my second doll, Kitya, I saw her in person and got a fantastic deal on her, so she was hard to resist (plus I'm pretty sure pukis have some hypnotic "buy me" quality for some people).

      As for my next doll, I'm lost. I also have a slight Iplehouse itch, but after seeing so many dolls I'm completely lost! I definitely agree that meeting dolls in person helps you get a feel for them. Meetups are great for this! You'll meet a doll you've always wanted and realize it's not quite what you thought or you can meet a doll you've never even thought about and totally fall in love. It's mental chaos, but it's fun to choose! Maybe you could make a list and write out pros and cons?
       
    19. What I did was read up on dolls made by specific companies and learned what their pros and cons were. For me, I'm a huge fan of poseability! The doll has to be able to pose and stand well. THEN it has to look good. First I seek good posing, then I seek what dolls within companies with said good posing are pretty enough to want. Then I look at price and determine that too. It's one way I get to narrow things down for myself.

      Now, in spite of that, I do have to add that before I bought my first doll I set out to get the one with the most beautiful face! It had to really capture me. And I had plenty of time. I found my "dream doll" when I found Dollstown's Ariel. And even though the older version of her body was said to have poor construction and thus didn't pose/stand well I wanted the older body anyway because of the general appearance. I found that body used in the MP and got it plus the Ariel head. I couldn't be happier. She's the only doll I have that has poor posing abilities but I love her the most and if anything happened to the rest of my dolls she'd be the one I'd save if I had the chance or option not to lose one.

      So, perhaps I've stuck my foot in my mouth. I don't know. All I can say is that there are SO many beautiful dolls it is absolutely overwhelming! You just have to do your research and try to narrow it down for yourself in whatever ways best suit you. :)
       
    20. It’s happening when its time to get a second but I just can’t decide, all was just- :aheartbea! But, in the end, I decided to settle in with a SD next. So all I did was, take my time, relax and when the time’s comes. He/She will voice out to me. Why rush right?